The Sophs erupt with raw, searing confessionals and razor-edged vulnerability on their blistering sophomore single “DEATH IN THE FAMILY,” solidifying the Los Angeles sextet as one of indie rock’s most volatile, compelling, and undeniable rising forces heading into 2026. Speaking with Atwood Magazine, frontman Ethan Ramon fearlessly unpacks the shame, paranoia, catharsis, and brutal honesty driving his band’s irresistible, no-holds-barred sound.

“DEATH IN THE FAMILY” – The Sophs

need a death in the family to turn my page.” That’s how it starts – with a line so dark, so arresting, it stops you cold.

The Sophs don’t ease you in; they tear the floor out from under you. What follows is a fever dream of guilt and catharsis, a searing indie rock eruption that blurs the line between confession and chaos. Guitars churn, drums crash, and frontman Ethan Ramon’s voice burns through it all – tender, taunting, and intoxicating. It may only be the Los Angeles band’s second-ever single, but “DEATH IN THE FAMILY” isn’t just another song; it’s a full-body reckoning, one that feels like both punishment and release.

I need a death in the family to turn my page
I need them to understand
I have learned my place
‘Cause what good’s atoning for sin?
I’ll be bleeding on the sharks
I need divine intervention
to wash away these scars

Released this past July via Rough Trade Records, “DEATH IN THE FAMILY” is a bold continuation of the world The Sophs began building on their debut “SWEAT.” Where that song was all sweat and swagger, this one is pure collapse – unflinching, unfiltered, and emotionally unhinged. Ethan Ramon calls it “one of the most personal songs I’ve ever written,” explaining that it “confronts my complicated relationship with shame, and how, at a certain point, I had convinced myself I’d rather grieve a loved one than take any kind of accountability.” That’s the kind of lyricism that doesn’t flinch; it cuts to the core of what it means to live inside your worst thoughts and somehow survive them.

The proof is right there in the refrain — a few lines that read almost like a whispered dare to the universe:

Don’t take the things you think I
Don’t take the things
you think I have
Just wait for God to take my
brother, sister, mother, uncle, aunt

It’s one of the most jarring, revealing moments in the entire track: A portrait of someone so consumed by self-loathing, so desperate to escape accountability, that the only imagined escape hatch is catastrophe. The specificity – brother, sister, mother, uncle, aunt – is what makes it land like a blade. It’s not metaphor; it’s intrusion. It shows how shame metastasizes into fantasy, how guilt turns into a kind of perverse wish-making. And yet within that ugliness is the beating heart of the song: The admission that these thoughts exist, that Ramon once believed them, and that by dragging them into the light, he robs them of their power. The chorus becomes the clearest example of how The Sophs turn their darkest impulses into something brutally, disarmingly honest – a confession so extreme it becomes cathartic. It’s a moment that distills the whole song’s emotional logic.

And if the chorus is the raw wound, then the verses are the self-inflicted twist of the knife, where Ramon doubles down on that instability and turns his darkest impulses into a kind of performance art. “What good’s an honest man who’s accepted that he’s lost?” he sings in the second verse, his words teetering between irony and despair. It’s the sound of someone weaponizing vulnerability – an artist exposing his flaws before anyone else can.

“Do you know the scene in 8 Mile where Eminem’s character starts off his final rap battle by completely disparaging himself?” he asks. “He protects himself from any criticism, as he’s self-aware enough to identify the worst parts of himself and effectively ‘beat people to the punch’ about himself by weaponizing his flaws and vulnerability. So picture me as Eminem in that scenario.” That’s exactly how “DEATH IN THE FAMILY” hits: Part confession, part exorcism, all defense mechanism.

Across every scream and sneer, The Sophs transform discomfort into catharsis. Their sound is feverish and free – jagged guitars and roaring drums colliding beneath Ramon’s sharp, deliberate voice. “It’s about shame and paranoia,” he admits. “Two traits I believe all people must have in order to be a good hang.” The band’s ethos lives in that line: they don’t just confront the mess; they find meaning in it. Beneath all the posturing and panic is something deeply human – a brutal honesty that makes “DEATH IN THE FAMILY” impossible to ignore.

I need a death in the family to shift the plot
I need some people to forget
all their forget-me-nots
‘Cause what good is showing your hand
when they’d have you cut it off?
And what good’s an honest man
who’s accepted that he’s lost?

Don’t take the things you think I
Don’t take the things you think I have
Just wait for God to take my
brother, sister, mother, uncle, aunt

With their debut EP GOLDSTAR on the horizon, The Sophs are quickly establishing themselves as one of Rough Trade’s boldest new signings: Fearless, self-aware, and unwilling to play it safe.

The band’s lineup – Ethan Ramon (vocals), Sam Yuh (keyboards), Austin Parker Jones (electric guitar), Seth Smades (acoustic guitar), Devin Russ (drums), and Cole Bobbitt (bass) – is as eclectic as their sound, each member shaping the wild, genre-blurring world they’re building together. Ramon describes their mission simply – “never deny yourself anything.” It’s both a warning and a promise. With “DEATH IN THE FAMILY,” The Sophs prove that chaos, when wielded with honesty and precision, can sound a lot like catharsis.

“DEATH IN THE FAMILY” is a descent and a declaration – proof that The Sophs aren’t afraid to wade into the wreckage and make something devastatingly beautiful from the fallout. If this is any indication of what’s to come on GOLDSTAR, we’re in for a record that cuts deep, bleeds honesty, and dares to find grace in the grotesque.

Read our full conversation with Ethan Ramon of The Sophs below, and stay tuned for much more to come from this indisputable 2026 Artist to Watch! In the meantime, cue up “DEATH IN THE FAMILY” and dive into their latest single, “I’M YOUR FIEND,” a manic, static-soaked jolt of love, lust, and lightning that shows The Sophs at their most unhinged and irresistible yet.

‘Cause all is love, war, and taxes
I’ve built my house on stolen
valor, sympathy, and charm
But all your little men
might set their sights on you
If you show up with a
pitchfork to a funeral
Let me go

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:: stream/purchase DEATH IN THE FAMILY here ::

:: connect with The Sophs here ::

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“DEATH IN THE FAMILY” – The Sophs

A CONVERSATION WITH THE SOPHS

Ethan Ramon: Thanks for having me. I would like your readers to know that once, when I was in middle school, I catfished my friend as a woman on Kik. I don’t think it was ’cause of any latent desires… Maybe it was a power thing. I’m not sure. And I recently released a song called “Death in The Family” with my band, The Sophs.

Ethan Ramon: I think it’s the most succinct and accessible choice. The arrangement is simple, it coins a catchy phrase, and exhibits a pretty wide variety of emotions throughout its short run time. It was the obvious choice to me.

Ethan Ramon: Do you know the scene in 8 Mile where Eminem’s character starts off his final rap battle completely disparaging himself? He talks about how he lives in a trailer park with his mom, then finishes his verse with “tell these people something they don’t know about me.” He protects himself from any criticism, as he’s self-aware enough to identify the worst parts of himself and effectively “beat people to the punch” about himself by weaponizing his flaws and vulnerability. So picture me (Ethan) as Eminem in that scenario.

Ethan Ramon: It’s about shame and paranoia. Two traits I believe all people must have in order to be a good hang.

Ethan Ramon: I’m just glad to have more music out in the world. I feel the constant need to explain and justify myself. I feel as though every conviction I have requires a disclaimer. I figure a better outlet for these impulses is music. And the more of it I have out, the more justified I feel simply existing.

Ethan Ramon: I find, when thinking about “world-building” (aesthetically or narratively), whenever I act on my first impulse and write, release, do (?) what I want when I want, it all turns out pretty cohesive. Maybe ’cause it’s all honest. The key is to never deny yourself anything.

Ethan Ramon: I’ve been reading a lot of really touching DMs from fans of the song. I hope they find some sort of solace. That being said, I hope my weakness is not taken for kindness, and I’m not hailed as some sort of bastion of mental health. A flawed person is not going to only be flawed in ways that you can relate to, or are easily captured by an Instagram reel. I hope my status as a human is something everybody can continue to respect.

Ethan Ramon: [It’s] The Sophs at our most manic. It’s frenetic declarations of love and lust under a blanket of static so thick it feels like your DIRECTV satellite just got hit by lightning in the middle of your favorite show.

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:: stream/purchase DEATH IN THE FAMILY here ::

:: connect with The Sophs here ::

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“DEATH IN THE FAMILY” – The Sophs

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